Saturday, July 19, 2008

A Novel Experience

Whenever I give talks, I am often asked about how I go about producing a novel, so I thought I'd break down the production of the forthcoming hardcover into its component parts and tell you about how a novel comes to be.

1. START AT THE BEGINNINGI have to decide what I am going to write about. This usually happens as I am finishing up the previous novel and preparing it for production. I thought with THE TIME OF SINGING that I was going to be writing about William Marshal's grandson, Roger Bigod III and the whole Henry III/Simon de Montfort debacle. However, in the course of the research, Roger III's grandfather claimed the stage instead, together with his wife, former royal mistress Ida de Tosney, and informed me that it was their story I had to tell next.At this stage the work didn't have a title. It was just called ROGER AND IDA.

2. INITIAL CONSTRUCTIONThe subject matter decided, I have to read up on my research so that I can write a character study, synopsis, blurb, and first three chapters. These form the initial document that I present to my agent and editor for their approval and to show them what's in store. At this stage in the game the synopsis, although fairly detailed is still 'more like guidelines really.' Not all synopses have to be this detailed, but since I am under contract, my editor and agent need to see as much detail as possible - even if some is going to change during the writing. Reading matter consulted for The Time of Singing included a university thesis on the Bigod family, an English Heritage online report about Framlingham Castle, various other online documents, a genealogy report on William Earl of Salisbury and a biography of Henry II. There were many others, but this is just to cite a few examples. I have included a full biography at the back of the novel. I also employed akashic consultant Alison King so that I could 'interview' and observe the people involved in the story and get a handle on their appearance, their personalities and discover the story they had to tell.

Here's page 1 of the synopsis. If you click on it, it will enlarge.

3. NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONEOnce the synopsis and first three chapters are approved, I get on with the nitty gritty of writing the story. My contracts are 15 months long. Some of that time is spent actually writing and researching, but I also have to build in time to write pieces like this for my blogs and for putting the show on the road and giving talks to the readers - because without readers I wouldn't have a job!At first draft stage I write 100 lines a day on the PC which usually equates to around 1,200 words or perhaps a bit more. At this point I am researching as I write; the two go side by side. I am always very aware that this first draft is not clean. It will be full of over-writing, repetitions, unecessary paragraphs, and a few scenes that go nowhere. That doesn't matter. It's getting it written down in concrete wordage that is the most important thing and viewing the basic structure. It will probably take me about 7 of my 15 months. Once I have written that first draft (which I haven't revised at all except for the first three chapters which were part of the selling document), I read it through on the PC and tighten it up, taking out the over-writing and the repetitions where noticed, dealing with loose plot threads, and generally pulling it into shape. Giving the shapeless blob a six-pack is how I sometimes describe the process! At this stage I am still researching too. This will take me up to 11 months. During this time I will work on the 'soundtrack' to the stories. The explanation can be found at my music blog here, along with the soundtrack to The Time of Singing. http://elizabethchadwicksoundtracks.blogspot.com/

Here is page 1 of the 2nd Draft of The Time of Singing. Note that it still says 'IDA AND ROGER' at the top. At this stage I write on both sides of the page to save paper.Font is Times New Roman 13 point and spacing is 'exactly' 22 points. It's what suits me.

4. REVISION AND MORE REVISIONOnce the second draft is written, I leave the PC and read the typescript as if it were a book. This way, I am looking down at the words rather than across to a PC screen and it does make a difference when it comes to spotting errors and flaws. I make biro notes about what alterations needs making and then I return to the PC and key the alterations into the novel while once more reading it. Below is an example of such a page from The Wild Hunt. (I've thrown away my notes for The Time of Singing unfortunately). This stage takes about 2 months

Once I've finished this next lot of alterations, I print the work out again and read it aloud to my long suffering husband over a period of several consecutive nights and again I make biro notes. Reading aloud is yet another different discipline and helps out pick up dodgy word flow, repetition and manky dialogue. I revise again on the PC and then, finally, I send the manuscript by e-mail to my agent and editor. They will read it simultaneously which brings about stage 5.The above paragraph will occupy a month at most, thus I am usually around a month ahead of schedule.

5. BITE NAILS, HIDE IN A CORNER AND EAT CHOCOLATE!

6. MORE REVISIONS.My agent and editor will report back with their opinions on the manuscript and I will ponder on their suggestions and alter the manuscript accordingly. Usually there aren't that many and it's more a case of general tweaks and tidying. At this stage my editor will begin asking me if I have any ideas for the jacket and the title. I have a consultation say in my UK covers and although we don't always agree and it's often a matter of compromise, we usually get something we can all live with!When I was asked about The Time of Singing I had a clear notion of what I wanted. Ida was a skilled needlewoman and one of Roger's main concerns was his castle at Framlingham. I thought that a cover based on Edward Blair Leighton's Stitching the Standard would be great.Click here to see the picture.http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Leighton-Stitching_the_Standard.jpgNow compare it with the book cover at the top of the blog. You can also see the rough drafts of this by going to my illustrator's blog here:http://www.rostant.com/seriesdesignforj.htmlAs far as the title was concerned we played with a lot of different ideas and suggestions. As always when I need inspiration, I turn to the bible (!) which is filled with excellent quotations and poetic phrases. A line from The Song of Solomon came straight to mind. The Song of Solomon is a love poem filled with a rich imagery of gardens and lovers, springtime and renewal. The novel contains several key scenes involving gardens and orchards, so the imagery fitted perfectly. Also, when Roger first notices Ida at court, she is singing and it is something she loves to do, and that he enjoys as well. The quote, taken from the New English Version of the Bible (rather than the King James) says: 'Arise my love, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come.'Perfect I thought, and different from the 'Queen' or 'Virgin' or 'Mistress' titles with which historical fiction is awash at the moment. You might also note in the illustration that the heroine gets to keep her head this time around!

7. MORE REVISIONSThe manuscript is passed on to a freelance editor who checks the punctuation and grammar and makes comments re the script where he/she feels appropriate. With The Time of Singing, I was very fortunate to have Richenda Todd, who was copy editor toDorothy Dunnett and is one of the best in the business.

8. LAST CHANCE REVISIONS.Next the proofs arrive. These need to be read though and any teeny last minute alterations made. Now is not the time to suddenly realise you do not need chapter 4 after all - although I do confess to nearly having done that once! Not with The Time of Singing though.

Example of page proofs

9. THE BLURBS AND THE PUBLICITY ANGLEWhile stage 8 is in production, the 'blurbs' will be prepared. These are the mini-synopses/teaser pieces of text that readers see on the inside flap of the hardback and the back of the paperback. These are difficult to write because the word count is restricted and you are trying to condense the flavour of a 150,000 word novel into a few sentences.The PR department at the publishers will send out advance copies of the novel to interested parties in the hopes of good reviews - any reviews really! The author has to gear up and be prepared to suddenly become a party animal and court the spotlight for the first few weeks following publication. Of course, being prepared doesn't always mean it will actually happen. Sometimes it does; sometimes it doesn't, but one has to have a nice frock in the wardrobe just in case.And of course there's the magical day when Ta Da! the postman arrives with his signature form and that wonderful box of first edition books....by which time I will usually be at stage 3 on the next novel i.e. nose to the grindstone - see below!

STAGE 3. OR WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.

Click on the text at the left to enlarge for a sneak preview of the first page of the new work in progress - which may, of course be totally different by the time it's part of a published novel!

Wow! I'm still furiously working on my own WIP, which is quite different from anything Elizabeth Chadwick writes, but I found that, at least for the idea and the revisions, etc., I work much the same way as she does. Makes me feel a lot better, knowing I'm on the right track.Anne G

Thank you for all the positive comments folks. Amy, if you could hear me cursing sometimes, you'd know I don't always find it easy. I've never had writers' block but sometimes I need to get up and leave the screen for a while to refresh my head - especially when writing the first draft!Tess - Yes, I hope your nose IS to the grindstone right now - LOL!Yes, I do have access to the unpublished theses, providing I can get hold of them via the British Library service. They do cost serious money if you are not able to go and view them on Microfiche though!

Elizabeth, thank you for your post. It's always interesting to see how other writers work.

A question for you: why do you use a freelance editor? According to your timeline, this editing takes place after you've submitted the completed manuscript to your agent and publisher. Doesn't the publishing house do the editing, or are things different in England?

Thanks for dropping by the blog Julianne.The freelance editor is the extra layer between the commissioning editor and and the in house copy editor. I guess that person, Richenda, in my case, does the job that the commissioning editor no longer has time to pull in. This layer of editing is mostly done on lead titles and not all of the publisher's work is sent out for this process. In Richenda's case too, she knows the Middle Ages fairly well, and it's brilliant for me to work with someone who knows the questions to ask. Some works are edited in house. For example my back list titles that I'm re-editing are edited in house, but my new lead titles go out to Richenda. It's common practice in publishing in the UK and most houses will send their leading titles out for free-lancing. The free-lance aspect also means that the editor is only employed as and when required, so it's a one off fee rather than a permanent salary.Bottom line - it's mix and match but it is common, especially in the case of lead titles to employ a free lance ed.

Thanks for answering my question, Elizabeth. It sounds like a process American publishers should use. And what an editor to have assigned to your book! I'm sure the result will be fabulous--I can't wait to read it. Best wishes!

This post was fascinating, fascinating! Thanks for the inside glimpse. I look forward to when your title arrives here in South Africa (luckily we are linked to UK publishers and don't have the availability problems as in the US). Also, I love the cover art - very evocative. Thanks for sharing!

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THE WINTER CROWN

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

" Wow! I feel like someone used to watching movies in black and white but has just seen the first one in technicolor! " A personal letter from a reader.

"The Winter Crown ...will, I have no doubt, become the definitive fictional account of this remarkable woman.' ..." I’ve read a fair few fictional depictions of Henry II over the years and I must say that his portrait in The Winter Crown has the most authentic feel of them all."Kate Atherton, author of For Winters Night blog.

"Eeanor’s life story has been told many times over in historical novels but rarely with such insight, emotional intensity and page-turning readability." Pam Norfolk, Lancashire Evening Post.

"In the world of the arts, the Black Legend and the Golden Myth still hold sway, as seen in novels, such as Alison Weir's, which seek to portray both the scandalous, adulterous queen of legend and the powerful female ruler. Historians may shake their heads at the perpetuation of such myths, but many historical novelists such as Sharon Kay Penman and Elizabeth Chadwick are seeking to apply modern scholarship to their fiction, and consequently avoid the most egregious of the legends that surround Eleanor."

THE SUMMER QUEEN UK cover

US paperback cover. UK hardback

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE SUMMER QUEEN

"What I loved about this novel, and I have felt this way about all of Elizabeth’s novels that I have read, is that she does not pander to stereotypes or write scandal for the sake of it. The historical Eleanor is defamed beyond belief- a whore chasing anything in trousers, a woman who committed incest with her uncle, a woman who was ‘ahead of her time’, and so on. Elizabeth’s Alienor is none of these things. She is treated fairly, as a woman of her own time, written in a believable way. Elizabeth does not go for scandal because she does not need to- the writing in this novel makes that very clear. Her scene setting is lovely, her character development top notch, and the book is a compulsive page turner. I couldn’t put it down." Sarah Bell

."The Summer Queen is a fabulous novel based on the most up-to-date and meticulous research. This is historical fiction at its best and I loved every page of it." Kate Atherton, blogger.

"I have read just about everything I can about Eleanor and enjoyed both biographical and fictional accounts of her life but I must say that your creation of Eleanor is the most compelling." Reader from Australia

"I loved the story; I loved the way the author wrote Alienor as a woman of her times instead of a thoroughly modern independent woman, or a slut in chase of anything in pants. As with all Chadwick novels, there's also the added plus of being sucked into another century with the sights, smells and sounds that wrap up a darn-near perfect reading experience. I couldn't put it down, and very sorry I'm going to have to wait for the next installment. Reader from the USA"

I often see the expressions, `fleshing out the history' and `making it real', and they more than apply here...the main aspect that made me keep turning the pages and burning the midnight oil? The things that I didn't know about Alienor.." Reader from Australia

"Chadwick has succeeded where many other novelists have failed by giving us not just the legend but the very human young woman – intelligent, determined, witty and sexy." Pam Norfolk. Lancashire Evening Post.